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Motorcycle rider crashes, dies after fleeing Beach, state police

The Virginian-Pilot
© October 23, 2007 | Last updated 9:58 AM Oct. 23

VIRGINIA BEACH

A man on a motorcycle who was being pursued by police Monday night died after he crashed into a car at Lynnhaven Parkway and Rosemont Road.

Virginia Beach police had been pursuing the Yamaha motorcycle when the rider headed onto Interstate 264 westbound just west of Lynnhaven Parkway, said First Sgt. W. T. Tynes, who commands the Virginia Beach area for the state police.

When the motorcycle rider got on the interstate, he passed a trooper who was using radar and clocked the motorcycle at a "high rate of speed," Tynes said.

The trooper followed the motorcycle down the ramp from the interstate onto Independence Boulevard where the motorcycle turned around, Tynes said. The motorcycle got back on the interstate and headed east. The trooper turned on his lights and sirens and tried to get the motorcycle to pull over, but the rider kept going.

At Rosemont Road, the motorcycle slowed down and appeared as if it were going to stop, Tynes said. The rider took the exit ramp and slowed down again then kept going.

Tynes said the motorcycle went through two red lights, first at Holland Road and then at Lynnhaven Parkway. The trooper backed off the pursuit at Lynnhaven, Tynes added.

"The motorcycle hit a vehicle making a lefthand turn from Lynnhaven to Rosemont,' Tynes said.

The motorcycle crashed about 11:50 p.m. and the rider was pronounced dead at the scene, Tynes said. The man was in his 20s and his name wasn't released because state police were contacting his relatives.

State police are investigating the crash.

Tynes said he didn't know what prompted the pursuit by Virginia Beach police.

State police had received two reports of motorcycles speeding on area interstates last night before the pursuit, Tynes said.